BCS championship game: LSU vs. Alabama: The Sequel

Movie critic Leonard Maltin knows a thing or two about the components of a good sequel. “One ingredient is having the same creative team involved,” Maltin said last week via telephone, “ ... You have some pretty good sequels when you already know the territory.

Leonard Maltin

“It can’t possibly be as fresh or as fun as discovering it for the first time.”

The exception, however, could be Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

As it turned out, the thought of “Game of the Century II” didn’t repel voters or computers from deciding the SEC titans needed to meet again, marking the first time that the BCS title would be decided within one conference.

“It’s always tough to beat a team twice,” LSU senior guard Will Blackwell said. “It’s just a matter of being familiar with another team - knowing their tendencies, getting a key on their game plan and understanding some of the things they do.”

“The better your opponent knows you, the tougher it is to win.”

While LSU-Bama II made history, a rematch isn’t a such a novel concept in the college football postseason.

In the 1960 Sugar Bowl, the No. 3 Tigers played No. 2 Ole Miss, a team they’d already beaten in the regular season.

LSU won the first meeting, 7-3, via Billy Cannon’s 89-yard punt return for a touchdown on Halloween night.

In the rematch, however, the Tigers were held to 74 total yards and lost, 21-0.

LSU is hoping history doesn’t repeat itself. But when looking at some of the great rematches, the loser seems to have a knack for finding redemption.

Two years before the BCS system was implemented, No. 1 Florida hosted No. 2 Florida State in regular-season finale in 1996.

The Gators were outlasted by the Seminoles, 24-21.

But because Nebraska lost to Texas in the Big 12 championship, Florida moved back up to No. 2 and in line for another crack at its rival.

Well, the 1997 Sugar Bowl was about redemption as Gators quarterback Danny Wuerffel threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-20 win.

One of sports’ most famous rematches was between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

In their first bout March 8, 1971, in Madison Square Garden dubbed “The Fight of the Century,” Frazier won a unanimous decision after knocking Ali down in the 15th round.

But Ali won the rematch in 1974 and the eventual “Thrilla in Manilla” for good measure as well.

LSU players have heard since Alabama was announced as their title-game opponent that they would have to buck the trend if they want to raise the crystal ball, but players insist it’s business as usual.

“You’d think the team that lost is more hungry and wants revenge,” junior cornerback Morris Claiborne said. “But we just have to go out and play ball.”

If the rematch goes anything like the first game, Tigers senior safety Brandon Taylor is convinced the game will go down as an instant classic.

It already has all the elements: a subplot (Les Miles and his predecessor at LSU, Nick Saban), high stakes (the title), plus plenty of heroes and villains (depending on fans’ allegiances).

Come Monday, cameras will be rolling. All that remains is the action.

So how will this sequel turn out?

“I think it’ll probably rank in the top five,” Taylor said. “We gave everybody a good show the first time.

“People are expecting an even better show this time, and I think that’s what we’re going to give them.”